Latest news with #politicalcrackdown
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Mali junta dissolves all political parties in latest opposition crackdown
Mali's military junta has dissolved all political parties in the country amid a growing crackdown on dissent since the army seized power."All meetings of members of political parties and organisations of a political character are dissolved across the national territory," a statement read on state TV on Tuesday said. The decision was validated by military leader Assimi Goïta, who seized power after coups in 2020 and 2021 and is due to stay in power for at least another five years despite pledges to hold elections. The move is expected to spark fresh resistance by political parties who have been demanding the country returns to democratic rule. Since last year, the military authorities have intensified a crackdown on political activity. Last week, following a rare pro-democracy protest, two opposition leaders were abducted by armed men saying they were police officers. The authorities have not commented on the reported arrests.A national conference organised by the regime - but boycotted by leading opposition parties - last month recommended naming Gen Goïta as president until 2030. The move sparked condemnation from opposition figures and human rights groups. The junta originally committed to holding elections in February presidential decree read on Tuesday evening warned Malians not to ignore the dissolution of political parties but did not outline any said that anyone working in a political or administrative role could "continue their duties without party affiliation". The main opposition coalition is yet to comment but one of its members, Nouhoum Togo, downplayed the move in a social media post. "No matter how hard they try to make you invisible, your value doesn't depend on their recognition," Togo, president of the Union for the Safeguarding of the Republic (USR) party, posted. The latest order follows the suspension of all political activity - another recommendation from the national conference - which sparked uproar from the opposition. A coalition of a hundred parties had planned a protest against the transitional authorities last week but postponed it following the suspension of political taking power, the junta leader has formed an alliance with coup leaders in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, pivoting the region towards Russia after drastically reducing ties with former colonial power Goïta has also withdrawn Mali from the regional grouping Ecowas over its demands to restore democratic rule. Burkina Faso and Niger have also left the grouping. You may also be interested in: The region with more 'terror deaths' than rest of world combinedThree military-run states leave West African bloc - what will change?Why young Africans are celebrating military takeovers Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Russia convicts a prominent election monitoring activist and sentences him to 5 years in prison
A court in Moscow on Wednesday convicted one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group on charges of organizing the work of an 'undesirable' organization and sentenced him to five years in prison. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's leading election watchdog Golos, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The case against him is part of the monthslong crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after invading Ukraine in 2022. After a judge of the Basmanny District Court delivered the verdict, Melkonyants, 44, told several dozen supporters and journalists from the glass defendant's cage: 'Don't worry, I'm not despairing. You shouldn't despair either!' Golos has monitored for and exposed violations in every major election in Russia since it was founded in 2000. Over the years, it has faced mounting pressure from the authorities. In 2013, the group was designated as a 'foreign agent' — a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations. Three years later, it was liquidated as a non-governmental organization by Russia's Justice Ministry. Golos has continued to operate without registering as an NGO, exposing violations in various elections, and in 2021 it was added to a new registry of 'foreign agents,' created by the Justice Ministry for groups that are not registered as a legal entity in Russia. It has not been designated as 'undesirable' — a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense. But when it was an NGO, it was a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, a group that was declared 'undesirable' in Russia in 2021, and the charges against Melkonyants stemmed from that. The defense argued that when ENEMO was outlawed in Russia, Golos wasn't a member, and Melkonyants had nothing to do with it. Melkonyants, a renowned election expert and lawyer by training, was arrested in August 2023 and has been in custody ever since. Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia's Central Election Commission, the country's main election authority, spoke out in his support at the time, telling Russian business daily Vedomosti about the case: 'I would really like to hope that they will handle this objectively. Because his criticism, often professional, helped us a lot sometimes.' Independent journalists, critics, activists and opposition figures in Russia have come under increasing pressure from the government in recent years that intensified significantly amid the war in Ukraine. Multiple independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down, labeled as 'foreign agents' or outlawed as 'undesirable.' Hundreds of activists and critics of the Kremlin have faced criminal charges. Melkonyants' defense team said after the verdict that they will appeal. Lawyer Mikhail Biryukov told reporters that 'there is no evidence" in the case that he and others on the defense team consider 'politically motivated, pretentious.' "We will fight for Grigory's freedom, because an illegal, unjust verdict should not exist. It should not stand (in the appeal proceedings). We all hope that the law will prevail,' Biryukov said. Memorial, Russia's prominent human rights group that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, has designated Melkonyants as a political prisoner.
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Russia convicts a prominent election monitoring activist and sentences him to 5 years in prison
A court in Moscow on Wednesday convicted one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group on charges of organizing the work of an 'undesirable' organization and sentenced him to five years in prison. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's leading election watchdog Golos, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The case against him is part of the monthslong crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after invading Ukraine in 2022.
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Russia convicts a prominent election monitoring activist and sentences him to a 5-year prison term
A court in Moscow on Wednesday convicted one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group on charges of organizing the work of an 'undesirable' organization and sentenced him to five years in prison. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's leading election watchdog Golos, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The case against him is part of the monthslong crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after invading Ukraine in 2022. Golos has monitored for and exposed violations in every major election in Russia since it was founded in 2000. Over the years, it has faced mounting pressure from the authorities.
Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
German spy agency suspends 'extremist' designation of far-right AfD party
BERLIN — Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a ' right-wing extremist ' movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities. The announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown.
